Ayrshire Scotland Business News is provided by the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire. We publicise our members, and celebrate and report the wealth and rich diversity of entrepreneurial and business excellence that abounds here in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland. For further information e-mail Murdoch@eliteayrshire.com

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle

Friday, 17 June 2011

South Ayrshire Council seeks companies with designs on the Gaiety

The planned autumn reopening of the cafe/bar at the iconic Gaiety Theatre in Ayr continues on track this week with invites for tenders for the first phase of the internal restoration works, as well as a call for expressions of interest in the operation of the new cafe/bar facility.

[A site for sore eyes? Contractors look at an artist’s impression of how the Gaiety cafe/bar area will look in the future. CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

This is the latest development in the joint project between South Ayrshire Council and Ayr Gaiety Partnership (AGP) to reopen the Gaiety, which was closed in January 2009.

The Council’s tender process is now underway for the first phase of the internal restoration works, which will be funded by the Council’s capital programme, and will focus on the café/bar area on the ground floor as well as some upgrading of the first floor performance space.

The works will be based on designs completed by the McLennan Partnership, which was appointed as the design team for the development of the cafe/bar and box office facilities in March.

Subject to the conclusion of the tender process, work is expected to start on site towards the end of July.

At the same time, Ayr Gaiety Partnership is seeking expressions of interest from companies/individuals keen to take over the running the café/bar once it is operational. By starting the process now, the Partnership hopes to ensure these exciting new facilities are open to the public as soon as possible after the completion of the capital works.

[Pictured left to right: Councillors Elaine Little, Ann Galbraith, Council Leader Bill McIntosh, Douglas Campbell, Provost Winifred Sloan, Margaret Toner, Robin Reid, architect Stephen Innes, John Allan, Roddy Macdonald, South Ayrshire Council’s Head of Community Development and Bill Grant check out the new designs for the cafe/bar during a visit to the Gaiety. Councillor Margaret Toner is the Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, Tourism and Leisure, with responsibility Arts and Culture. Councillors John Allan, Douglas Campbell and Ann Galbraith are members of the Ayr Gaiety Steering Group. Councillors Bill Grant, Elaine Little and Robin Reid represent the Ayr West ward, in which the Gaiety Theatre is situated.]

Councillor Bill McIntosh, Leader of South Ayrshire Council, said: “Things are really starting to move at the Gaiety now, and the works on the cafe/bar and the opening of the same later in the year will provide a truly tangible and visible sign of the extensive progress being made by the Council and the Partnership to reopen this iconic facility.

“I’m sure this will generate a real buzz in the town and get lots of people excited about what has still to come, with the ultimate aim of getting people through the doors for a theatrical performance as soon as possible.

“Our ambition – subject to the external funding required – is still to see the Gaiety fully operational by the end of the year and, with this latest development, we are well on our way.”

Ian Welsh, Chair of Ayr Gaiety Partnership, added: “The opening of the cafe/bar is a major step forward in the journey to reopen the Gaiety, and I am thrilled we are now at this important stage.

“When the cafe/bar opens, members of the public will – for the first time since the closure – have access once again to a part of the Gaiety, and that will be an historic moment.

“We hope there is a lot of interest in taking on the operational side of the cafe/bar and becoming part of the new Gaiety, which we hope will become the heart of the centre of cultural activities in South Ayrshire.”

For further information regarding the proposed catering operation or to register your interest with Ayr Gaiety Partnership, visit www.hallaitken.co.uk/gaiety. Expressions of interest must be submitted by midnight on Thursday 30 June.

THE EDITORThe Editor of Ayrshire Scotland Business News is Murdoch MacDonald, a graduate of Magdalene College, Cambridge University, where his journalistic contemporaries included John Simpson, now World Affairs Editor with the BBC, and Alan Rusbridger, Editor of the Guardian. Murdoch MacDonald has been in the public relations industry and a freelance journalist and broadcaster for more than 35 years.He has handled the PR accounts of many top Scottish companies, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life, John Menzies, Kwik-Fit and Barratt Homes.

He has hosted his own family finance programmes - "£s, Pence and Sense" on Radio Forth and "Moneywise" on Scottish Television.He now runs Ayrshire’s top PR consultancy Fame Publicity Services.

Wherever you are in the world, no other public relations consultancy, PR firm or publicity company can offer you a better or more cost-effective worldwide news distribution service, combined with search engine optimisation techniques that will drive customers and qualified sales leads to your company's website.

Murdoch MacDonald is also managing director of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.Telephone: 01292 281498E-mail: Murdoch@eliteayrshire.com

Murdoch and his wife Lilian (pictured above) have written a book called "Phoenix in a Bottle", describing how they overcame alcoholism and are now, contrary to conventional wisdom, able to drink alcohol responsibly again. "Phoenix in a Bottle" is published by Melrose Books price £16.99 and is now available worldwide.Reviewing the book, eminent American addiction expert Dr Stanton Peele PhD commented:

“Phoenix in a Bottle is a modern version of The Days of Wine and Roses, and tells the true story of how two people who entered a period of desperate drinking stayed with one another in a close loving relationship, and emerged from their alcoholism able to drink responsibly again.

“Both a wonderful love story and a challenge to conventional wisdom about how people can recover from drinking problems, Phoenix in a Bottle gives people hope, and helps them to confront their own demons - alcohol or otherwise.”

And now "Phoenix in a Bottle" has been selected as a set text by a top American university.

“Phoenix in a Bottle” by Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald will now be required reading for all doctoral students in a psychology programme at Alliant International University in San Diego, California.

Alliant International University, headquartered in San Diego and San Francisco, California, was formed in 2001 by the merger of the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) and the United States International University. Alliant has 6 campuses throughout California and also runs programmes in Mexico City, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant is one of the premier psychology schools in the US, and it counts roughly half the licensed clinical psychologists in California as its alumni.

Dr. Gary W. Lawson is Professor of Psychology at CSPP. He says: “I adopted Phoenix in a Bottle because the dilemma this couple struggled with and the questions they ask themselves are like so many others I have encountered in 35 years of clinical experience treating addictions.“However, nowhere in addiction literature have I seen these issues examined and explained as well as Lilian and Murdoch do in Phoenix in a Bottle.“I also recommend Phoenix in a Bottle to many of my patients as well.”

You can buy "Phoenix in a Bottle" by Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald online now direct from Amazon UK (click on book cover image below).